SEATTLE — Those living in the Northwest know the next big earthquake could happen at any time. However, an article in the New Yorker takes that threat a step further, detailing what will happen when it does hit.

Experts say older buildings and structures in Seattle, like the Alaska Way Viaduct, would be most vulnerable during an earthquake, but they don’t believe the devastation is going to be like anything depicted in the movies.

The New Yorker article discusses the possibility of a major earthquake and its impact, quoting FEMA’s regional director, Kenneth Murphy, as saying, “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.”

John Vidale is the state’s seismologist, and he has his own idea of what that means.

“The article had a lot of good information in it and there is a lot of real risk and a lot of…

When there are multiple fires happening at once, it can be extremely confusing to know which fire might impact you or your friends and family. Fortunately, there is an interactive map developed by the BLM Alaska Fire Service that can help you learn more about the fires most important to you.

This map tool isn’t perfect and is not updated in real time, but it can be a great tool to give you basic information about incidents. You are also welcome to call the Fire Information Center at 907-356-5511, either to learn more about this tool or to learn more about fires you’re interested in.

First step: Open your web browser and go to http://fire.ak.blm.gov/

Then you’ll need to navigate to the map:

Hover your mouse over the “Maps-Imagery-Geospatial” tab and another menu will appear:

Click on the “Statewide Fires” line and your map will open in a new window.

Amazon’s Amazon Echo voice-activated, connected home command center is now available for anybody to purchase. The Siri-like device will start shipping July 14.

The cylindrical Echo, which responds to voice commands and allows a user to learn the weather, set alarms, and listen to music, had a limited launch in fall 2014. Since then, Amazon has added many new features to the Echo, including compatibility with the music streaming service Pandora, the audiobook service Audible, and more.

“We are grateful to our early customers for their incredible engagement and for providing us with invaluable feedback to help shape Echo as it evolves—with their help, we’ve been able to add features like Audible, Pandora, home automation, sports scores, calendar, and more,” said Amazon Echo vice president Greg Hart in a statement. “We’re excited to get Echo into the hands of even more customers and continue to invent new features and experiences.”